Planooraph co



W. KELSO.

TRANSITION CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION HLED APR4 H. 191s.

l ,$309,290. Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. KELSO.,

TRANSITION CAR CUUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED APII. II. 19H3.

,$09,290. Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n.11.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KELSO, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCCONWAY &

TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

TRANSITION CAR-COUPLING.

Application filed April 11, 1918.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM KnLso, a citi- Zen ot the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Transition Car- Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of transition car couplings designed to be used in equipping cars during the period when car couplings of the European hook type are being gradually supplanted by couplers oi the Master Car Builders type. The object ot the invention is to produce a simple and effective transition coupling capable of not only coupling with a similar coupling, but also with the European type of coupling and the M. C. B. type of coupler as well. A further object of the invention is to provide a transition car coupling which may readily be converted into a typical M. C. B. coupler when the need for transition couplings no longer exists.

Generally stated, these objects of my invention are accomplished byV pivotally mounting a laterally swinging yoke on the outer end ot the knuckle of an M. C. B. coupler, by movably mounting on the yoke a link member adapted to cooperate with the hook of a coupling of the European type, and by pivotally mounting the yoke on the knuckle pin of the coupler through instrumentalities permitting the yoke to swing independently on the axis oic its pivotal connection with the outer end ot the knuckle.

In the drawings illustrating the best mode in which I have contemplated applying the -orinciple of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a plan view ot a transition car coupling embodying tlie invention.

Eig. 2 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Eig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of the construction showing` it in elevation as seen whenlooking in the direction of the arrow 3 in 1.

Fig. L is a detail view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the auxiliary coupling members..

The transition car couplings involves a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Serial No. 227,840.

coupler head l, a knuckle 2 pivotally mount` ed thereon by means of a knuckle pin 3, and lock 4 serving to restrain outward rotation ot the knuckle to uncoupled position. These parts, which are elements common to the M. C. B. type of coupler, may be of ani,7 suitable construction or of the well known form illustrated in the drawings.

.At its outer end the knuckle 2 is formed with a vertically extending pivot pin opening adapted to receive a pivot pin 5 by which a laterally swinging yoke G is attached to the knuckle. The yoke 6 embraces the outer end of the knuckle, extendinoabove and below it, and is provided with vertically alined pivot pin bosses 7 adapted h to receive the pivot pin 5 by which pulling strains are transmitted from the yoke to the knuckle. Between its top and bottom walls and parallel thereto the yoke is preferably provided with vertically spaced studs or lingers S which extend rearwardly, terininating close to the forward tace ot the knuckle. These studs and the top and bottom arms oi" the yoke G forni pockets or recesses 9 for receiving a link member l() that coperates with the hook member of a coupling ot the European type (not shown), the vertical height of the link 10 thus being capable of adgustment as the height of the coupling on the adjoining car or other conditions may dictate. The link 10 may slide rearwardly in the recesses 9 to allow for the movements of the cars as the buffers carried thereby move in and out; but the knuckle 2 prevents the link from escaping from any recess in which it may be placed. In order to make the studs 8 as long as possible and yet allow the yoke 6 to have an extended swinging movement, the ends of the studs may be beveled, as indicated at 11, to aiord proper clearance between their ends and the forward face ot the knuckle 2 during the swinging of the yoke toward the knuckle side of the coupler head.

Projecting horizontally from each of the pivot pin bosses 7 of the yoke is a iange 12 having therein an arcuate slot 13 whose cen ter is the pin 5 on which the yoke 6 rotates. The flanges 12 respectively extend into suitable horizontal slots 14 formed in collars 15 that are rotatably mounted on the knuckle pin 3. Rivets 16 passing through the flanges of the collars 15 and through the correspending arcuate slots 18 of the yoke form a jointed connection between the yoke 6 and collars l5 permitting the yoke to swing independently of the collars when the car is passing around a curve. Ihen not in use the devices for forming a coupling with a hook of the European type may be swung to the knuckle side of the coupler head l upon the knuckle pin 3 as a pivot, and the pin 5 may be carried in the pivot pin opening in the outer end of the knuckle :2.

I claim:

l. In a transition car coupling, the combination with a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon and having a vertically extending pivot pin opening in its outer end, and a lock for said knuckle, of a yoke embracing the outer end of said knluckle, a pivot pin passing through said yoke and the opening 1n the outer end of the knuckle, and a link member carried by said yoke and longitudinally sli'dable with respect thereto and adapted to be connected to a hook coupling of the European type.

2. In a transition car coupling, the combination with a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, and a lock for said knuckle, or a yoke embracing and pivotally mounted upon the outer end of said knuckle, means for pivotally connecting the yoke to the outer end of the knuckle so that said yoke may swing laterally, and means longi tudinally slidable with respect to said yoke ior connecting said yoke to a hook coupling of the European type.

3. In a transition car coupling, the com bination with a coupler head, a knuckle, a knuckle pin for pivotally mounting said knuckle upon said head, and a lock for said knucl'le, of a. yoke, means carried by said voke for connecting the latter to a hook coupling of the European type, means for pivotally connecting said yoke to the outer 'end ot' said knuckle, and means :tor pivotally connecting the yoke to the coupler head through said knuckle pin.

el. In a transition car coupling, the combination with a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted on said head, and a lock tor said knuckle, of a yoke pivotally mounted on the outer end of said knuckle, means carried by said yoke for connecting the latter to a hook coupling of the Europeaan type, and means pivotally connecting the yoke to the head so as to permit said yoke to 'be suf'ung on vthe axis of rotation of the knuckle.

5. In a transition car coupling, the Combination with a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, and a lock for said knuckle, of a yoke mounted on the outer end of said knuckle, and a longitudinally slidable link device for connecting said yoke to a hook coupling'of the European type, said yoke having a plurality of rearwardly opening recesses each adapted to receive said link device and permit it to slide longitudinally therein, and said knuckle'being adapted to prevent the escape of said link device from said recesses.

G. In a transition car coupling, the combination with a coupler head, a knuckle pivotally mounted thereon, and a lock for said knuckle, a yoke embracing the outer end ol the knuckle and pivotally connected thereto and provided with a plurality of recesses each adapted to receive a link member, and a link member adapted to be received by said recesses and to be connected to a hook coupling of the European type, said link member being adapted to slide longitudinally in said recesses.

7. In a transition car coupling, the combination with a coupler head, of a knuckle, a knuckle pin for pivotally mounting the knuckle upon the head, a yoke embracing the outer end of the knuckle, meansl for pivotally connecting the yoke to the outer end of the knuckle, means for connecting the yoke to a hook coupling or" the European type, and means for pivotally connecting the yoke to the head at the knuckle pin, said last named means involving a member having a movable connection with fthe yoke whereby the latter may swing independently.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

IVILLIAM KELSO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fox` ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

